News & Events

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – For the third consecutive year, Illinois Wesleyan University’s Action Research Center (ARC) has been awarded a $55,000 grant from the State Farm Companies Foundation.

“The ARC program has had a positive impact on the students, community, Illinois Wesleyan University and State Farm,” says Kathy Payne, senior director of Community Relations at State Farm. “We are proud to continue our support in 2009.”

According to ARC Coordinator Deborah Halperin, the grant is an affirmation of the positive efforts of the program. “We are so grateful to State Farm for believing in ARC,” said Halperin, who called the partnership “critical” to the continued growth of the ARC, which allows students to provide research and assistance to area not-for-profit organizations. “This is much more than a financial relationship. ARC can achieve great things because State Farm is a resource for us on so many levels.”

The ARC program was created in 2003 as part of the University’s ongoing efforts to involve Illinois Wesleyan students with the community, while providing them with a chance to develop applied research skills. State Farm funding supports important ARC programs such as the Not-for-Profit Leadership Workshop series, the Get on Board initiative to promote Illinois Wesleyan student participation on not-for-profit Boards of Directors and the two community-focused WESN radio shows: Radio Latino and Community Connections.

State Farm also supports a unique summer internship experience for 10 Illinois Wesleyan students. The internships combine learning the inner workings of the insurance business and working with local not-for-profits organizations. Internships in the past have included conducting research at the Hispanic Families Work Group, assisting with UNITY Community Center summer day camp, working on grant management for STAR literacy, and conducting outreach programs for the American Red Cross of the Heartland, the Day Care Center of McLean County and Heartland Head Start. Read more about the internships.